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Then I would tell you how I stumbled upon the 1983 film version of The Pirates of Penzance on A&E last weekend and DVR'd the last 2/3rds of it. (With a young Kevin Kline effortlessly making his mark as the Pirate King.) And how Act 2 has an extra song added to it, that I didn't remember from previous versions of "Pirates" that I'd seen. I IMDB'd it and it appears that the filmmakers added a song from another G & S musical, "My Eyes are Fully Open" from Ruddigore (or The Witches Curse).
And I would probably wince as explained that I really, really like this song. It's exceptionally fast and has very complex lyrics that the singers have to navigate. No effort is made to simplify the language for the singers. It would be difficult to speak aloud, much less race briskly through at G & S speed.
I might explain to you that I REALLY like the melody of this song and caught myself humming it in the shower, without knowing what it was that I was humming. And how I stood there until I could place the melody and when I recognized it, I downloaded it from Itunes and I've had it on repeat for a day or two now on my Ipod, trying to force it out of my brain. Which repeats it, at an alarming rate, as the subtext to everything I do.
If you catch me standing in a line and hear me humming a bouncy tune, it's that "fucking Gilbert & Sullivan." If you see my knees bouncing under my desk it's in the rhythm of "Fucking Gilbert & Sullivan." And if I'm on the train smiling, while my ipod is quietly whispering into my ears, you can bet that I am listening to... you get the idea.
Anyways. Here's a link to the lyrics for an exceptionally well written short ditty from a Gilbert & Sullivan musical that you'd likely never heard of. If you really want an excuse to stab pencils into your ears, check out the links to the midi's that are on the same page. OR better yet, go to Itunes and listen to the 20 second sample. Or illegally download a copy.
It's a pretty great little tune.
Cheers,
Mr. B
2 comments:
Poor Biddle, now you have Hixx disease.
My mother had a tshirt that said "I've done every Gilbert & Sullivan show" then listed them all. And she did, and I've done maybe 5 or 6. All their music is just that wonderful.
Wait till you get to some HMS Pinafore, the Mikado, Iolanthe...
Hixx
Ha ha! You and your mum are true G & S fans! I haven't seen the Mikado, but I've seen "Topsy Turvy", it's one of my favorite films. (I actually didn't like it the first time that I saw it. The second time, I LOVED it.)
I was just sitting here humming the first four lines to "My Eyes are Fully Open". As it turns out, I've listened to it SO MANY times over the past week that I have the first four lines entirely memorized.
Do you know that show? And that song? It's pretty great!
Mr. B
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